


The Canto Bight Caper or Armitage and The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

by sunbug1138



Category: Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canto Bight, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Hangry Rey, If you can't tell who the mark at the table is its you Hux, Never get suckered into a game of Sabacc with Lando Calrissian, Sabacc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2019-05-14 14:48:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14771693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunbug1138/pseuds/sunbug1138
Summary: After over a year of chasing down dead end leads, Ben receives a communique from an old family friend and it begins to look like things might finally be on the up.Unfortunately the same can not be said for Armitage Hux who is about to have a very bad day indeed.





	The Canto Bight Caper or Armitage and The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

**Author's Note:**

> I had originally posted this as the third chapter in a set of random vignettes but decided it was better out on its own.
> 
>  
> 
> Their ship, The Orphan is a new model H-type Nubian - like Padmè's ship in episodes 2&3\. But without the ultra shiny finish. Ari'li is the Chiss orphan Rey and Ben rescued from traffickers during The Art of Broken Pieces. 
> 
> This story is set roughly eight weeks after [Adrift](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14740307/chapters/34077086) and 36 hours before the beginning of [Postcards from The Galactic Edge](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13706421/chapters/31484769).

They had barely been back on Yavin IV for a morning when they received word that Hux had been spotted arriving on Canto Bight a few hours earlier. Ari’li was understandably annoyed; she hadn’t seen Ben and Rey for nearly two months and now they were leaving again. They also had to abandon their immediate plans of all spending the day with Rose, Finn and Paige enjoying a convivial picnic, and doing nothing in particular.

For well over a year they had been chasing up false leads or had just missed their quarry. Rey was almost inclined to ignore this tip; but Ben trusted this particular contact and felt strongly that it was worth checking up on. He would never be able to relax properly until Hux was finally, safely in the Republic’s custody.

The day, that had started out so promising and warm, had turned chilly by the evening when they set out again. Rey had a long black coat pulled around herself against the cold, not unlike her current mood. She had had another difficult conversation with Ari’li, explaining why she would not be able to accompany them. Not for the first time had she found herself promising Ari’li that this was hopefully the last time they would leave without her. 

If this mission failed she was probably very likely to smuggle Ari’li on board herself, no matter what misgivings Ben might have about bringing her. Hell, Ari’li might very well be the one to help them catch that damn man once and for all.

“What do you know about Canto Bight?” She asked Ben wearily as they made their way up the boarding ramp and on to The Orphan.

He shrugged. “Not a huge amount. It’s mostly given over to bars, cafes and a large casino complex. There’s a Fathier racing track as well. It’s the destination of choice for the aristocracy, planet-less or otherwise, arms dealers, high price slicers and assassins. It’s essentially Mos Eisley but with more money and better decor.” 

He turned as he hit the hatch release,“I wouldn’t go as far as saying that the denizens are a higher class; they all profit from conflict one way or another.” 

Once on board Rey threw off her heavy coat revealing an elegant white jumpsuit that both flowed and clung in a particularly fascinating way. She had pulled her hair up into a single topknot. It looked rather severe on her. Ben much preferred her hair down, framing her face. She caught him staring at her. She smiled at the slightly goofy look on his face. When he looked at her like that he put her in mind of a little boy looking at his life day gifts.

“I’ll, er, go and… get the ship up and running” Ben muttered as he hurried off in the direction of the cockpit. He was definitely going to need a drink at one of those bars when they arrived to steady his nerves. 

“Weren’t Finn and Rose there once?” He asked over the comm as he settled down into the pilot’s seat. “Did they give you any pointers on the place?”

“Yes. They said don’t park on the beach.” Rey replied as she double checked the locks on the storage compartment.

A moment later she entered the cockpit. Ben sensed that her mood had lightened slightly as she lent over and gave him a quick kiss on the temple, before sitting down in the seat beside him. 

“Right, let’s get this show on the road. I really hope this is the last time. I’m getting tired of all this.” She said as she double checked the coordinates on the navi-computer.

“Me too,” replied Ben. “I promise you, if we get him this time, we will settle down wherever you like. I hear Naboo is quite nice pretty much all year round.”

Rey shook her head. “Too many people. At this point, anywhere sparsely populated on the Outer Rim with patchy comm reception, would be highly desirable. That way no one will be able to bother us.”

“Tatooine it is, then.” He replied jokingly.

“Careful,” she admonished him. “I may just hold you to that.” Ben smiled inwardly, a next-to deserted planet, just the two of them. Well three of them; he also, could not bear to leave Ari’li  behind, again. It only got tougher and tougher to do each time they’d had to drop everything and leave. Rey’s suggestion, even if she had meant it in jest, really didn’t sound too bad at all.

 

 

The trip itself was short and uneventful. There had been no further communication from Ben’s contact, beyond a single message stating that he had eyes on Hux but that he wasn’t going anywhere at present and that he would ping them again with an update.

A cool breeze was blowing and Rey put her coat back on as they disembarked. Their landing platform was located at the top of the main port complex; it was an elegant arrangement of petal like platforms spiralling around a central core. 

“Any word yet?” Rey asked as she finished up the arrangements with the automated port master terminal on the landing pad and prepaid for their berth.

“No, he did say it might be a few hours.”

“Let’s go for a walk,” she suggested, taking his arm.  “Maybe check out that famous beach.”

 

They spent an hour or so wandering around waiting for word from their contact. They worked their way down towards the beach and inspected it from a walled promenade that ran high above it. 

It wasn’t really that much to look at. 

Rey was getting hungry and a little irritable, recalling the food that they would have had had they not been dragged out on this wild-nerf chase. However she was unwilling for them to try and get reservations for a meal they might have to abandon at any moment.

Instead they found some street vendors and purchased some eye-wateringly expensive filled bread rolls. They continued to walk as they ate and found themselves inexorably drawn towards the racing track and the Fathier stables. 

Ben suddenly halted. “Can you feel it?” he asked.

“Yes” Rey replied, her face shining with excitement. 

They managed to find the public entrance to the stables without too much trouble. Racing was over for the evening and there was a trio of children, a girl and two boys, standing in the courtyard just outside the stable building tending to one of the elegant creatures.

All three of them appeared like bright lights to Ben and Rey, one perhaps a bit brighter. They were at most in their mid-teens. But thanks to a life of hardship and malnourishment they were on the small side for their age. 

“Wait here.” Ben said softly and he turned and hurried off in the direction from which they had come. 

Rey leant on the barrier that lay between the street and the courtyard. Just observing them caring for the Fathier. She wondered if their Force sensitivity was what helped them bond which such skittish creatures. One of them had clearly sensed her watching them, she felt his awareness of her before he turned.

“Please, don’t be afraid” she said quietly, she also sent out a reassuring tendril of the Force. The boy’s eyes widened momentarily in response. He turned away from her again and reached up to brush the Fathier’s neck. Rey caught sight of a ring on his finger. Before she could stop herself she exclaimed, “You are the boy who helped Rose!”

The boy spun around, this time his face was not impassive but smiling, as he recalled the excitement of that evening.

“She was your friend?” he asked tentatively as he approached the barrier.

“She is my friend, yes. She’ll be pleased to know you remembered her.” Rey said.

Ben at that moment rejoined her, a number of the filled bread rolls in his arms. The boy retreated slightly, his expression now one of caution. He sensed that this tall man was different from the young woman; he put him in mind of a skittish wild Fathier; timid yet prone to outbursts when cornered.

“Don’t worry, this is Ben. He is Rose’s friend as well.” Rey explained.

The boy seemed wary. Ben held out the packages to the boy. “Here,” he said. “It’s ok, we won’t tell anyone. I promise.”

The boy looked him up and down appraisingly. His companions however had already made their decision and pushed past him and took Ben’s offerings. Seeing the happy faces of his compatriots as they began to eat, he shrugged and took the last one from Ben.

“Thanks” he said in a small, yet determined voice.

Ben recognised the look on Rey’s face as she watched the children eat.

“We are with the Republic, you could come back with us if you like,” he offered. Part of him wanted them to. Part of him, the more pragmatic part that knew he was not in a position to start training or guiding anyone, needed them to say no.”

The boy turned and met his eyes. The breadth of understanding in that look was overwhelming. He didn’t see Ben as evil or dangerous. To the boy, Ben was like an unbroken Fathier, or more accurately, one who had been abused and mistreated and had not yet learned to fully trust again. He saw that Ben was not ready for the task at hand. Not yet.

“We can’t leave the Fathiers,” he said simply. “No one else understands them like we do.”

Ben nodded. “I understand” He said, as Rey wiped away a tear. “You’ve made a commitment to them and it does you credit to stick to that.”

He dug in his pocket and pulled out his spare comm link. “Take this. Keep it safe. Rey and I are the only people who it can contact. If you ever need us, if circumstances change, you can use it to call us.”

The boy took the comm link and returned to his fellows who were feeding the Fathier the ends of their bread.

Ben put one arm around Rey’s shoulder, gently guiding her away from the stables. “We’ve done what we can. When they are ready, they’ll be in touch.” Hopefully we’ll be ready too, he added to himself. Rey nodded sadly. She accepted the children’s decision. It was one borne from a very different impetus than the one that had compelled her to stay, and for a while return, to Jakku. 

She also knew as Ben did, that they were in no position to start gathering potential Jedi. They wouldn’t have even known where to begin with training them. That wouldn’t have been fair on them, any of them. Nor would they ever take anyone against their will or the will of their parents or guardians. It was not going to be that way anymore.

Ben paused and turned to face her. Taking her face in his hands, he wiped away a stray tear with one thumb. “We’ll figure it out sweetheart, don’t worry” he said softly. He bent to kiss her when his comm link began to buzz incessantly. “Damn it, typical Calrissian timing” he muttered, shoving one hand into his pocket to withdraw the offending piece of tech.

“Lando? Lando is your contact?” Rey exclaimed incredulously.

Ben looked up from the comm link. “Yes, he got in touch with me a few months back. Said he had _an idea_.” He looked about them and down at the comm again. “He’s said to come and meet him. He’s not too far from here in fact.”

Taking her hand in his, he strode a dozen meters further along the street before turning abruptly into a dimly lit arcade lined with cosy cafes and bars. He scanned the signs that hung above the various doorways, and saw the one he was looking for: _The Sun and Moon._ Apt he thought to himself as he carried on towards it.

He stopped and held the door open to allow Rey to enter. Ben hesitated for a moment before following her. Hux was somewhere nearby; his presence had a quality that could only be described as acrid. He’d deal with him soon enough, he thought to himself as he carried on into the cafe.

It was a deceptively cavernous space and seemed to be doing a brisk trade. The air was with thick with the smell of khav and spices. At the back of the cafe he spied his father’s erstwhile partner ensconced in an alcove, though he had also sensed his presence from the street; a heady combination of self-confidence and charming guile.

Rey paused as they passed a counter laden with pastries, momentarily distracted until Ben plowed into the back of her. “Sorry” she mumbled as he placed his hands on her shoulders and propelled her onwards.

Ben signalled to the server behind the counter to bring some pastries and khav to the table at the back to which they were heading.

Lando had caught sight of them approaching and was standing when they reached the table where he had been holding court. His assistant motioned for the young ladies he’d been regaling with tales of derring-do, that it was time for them to depart. 

“My friends!” Lando exclaimed, his arms thrown out wide. He enveloped Rey in a hug and was about to kiss her when he caught Ben’s eye and settled for an avuncular peck on the cheek. He shook Ben’s hand firmly.

“So how’s my ship?” Lando asked as he sat back down.

“Calrissian!” Ben rumbled as he and Rey took a seat on a low couch at Lando’s table.

“Whoa there, kid!” he said throwing up his hands and flashing his trademark smile. “You are seriously channelling your grandfather there.” 

Rey threw Lando a warning look, but to her surprise Ben burst out laughing. “That old hunk of junk is fine. Chewie has it. Besides you _know_ my father won the Falcon from you, fair and square.” 

Lando shook his head, “I’m not so sure. I never trusted those dice of his. He never lost with them you know. I think they were loaded.”

Ben rolled his eyes, as long as he could remember the pair of dice had always been on a chain and never used for gaming.  As far as he could tell had always been more of a good luck charm than anything else.

The server arrived at that moment and set a plate of pastries before them along with a pot of khav and some delicate ceramic beakers. Rey helped herself to a pastry.

Lando waited until the server had departed before continuing. “So I imagine you’re wondering what I’ve been up to then?”

“To be honest you were the last person I had expected to contact me, with or without information.” Ben admitted as he poured out some khav for himself and Rey.

Lando leaned back in his chair and made himself comfortable. “Well, a few months ago I was doing some business on Aurelia and happened to fall into conversation with an arms dealer who had supplied the First Order with ordinance on some rather foolish terms and as a result was struggling with his cashflow. So I offered to buy the debt from him, at a discount, of course, for ready credits.” Ben raised an eyebrow. 

“Forensic accounting is a bit of a hobby with me.” Lando explained. “I find it can help a great deal in later negotiations. So I and Lobot did some more digging and located some more of the First Order’s creditors, many of whom were also most eager to find Hux, or at the very least were very happy to solve the cash flow problems they were experiencing as a result of the First Order’s… liquidation shall we say.”

“You hold all of their debts!” Rey exclaimed. “Lando, you must realise you are _never_ going to see those credits.”

“Maybe not, but I’m sure your government will be good for a quid pro quo or two sometime in the future.”

“I wouldn’t count on it” warned Ben.

Lando waved away this depressing thought. “At any rate, I didn’t spend as much on them as you might think. Some, I purchased at a discount in exchange for liquid funds, others I won.” He smiled, wolfishly.

He had been enjoying himself greatly over the last few months, it made a welcome change from the tedium of running a highly successful Tibanna gas extraction facility. The First Order had plagued his operations on Bespin during their brief supremacy and he had been quite glad for the opportunity to get a little of his own brand of revenge.

“Once I had control of the debts, I contacted Hux and said that as I now his sole creditor I was _most_ anxious to meet with him to discuss coming to an arrangement for repayment. I didn’t give my real name of course, and I may have given him the rather strong impression that I had ties with Kanjiklub and a few other select groups and had certain skilled personages on retainer.” Lando chuckled to himself; he and Bazine had enjoyed a cosy meal together the evening before but discussions of a business-like nature had never come up but still it had served to create the impression that they had.

“Well,where is he then?” Ben asked impatiently. As much as he admired Lando’s unorthodox method of tracking down Hux, he very much wanted to get him safely stowed away on the ship and put an end to the nomadic life he and Rey had been living for the last year.

“He’s in the bar across the alleyway, _Leonid’s_. The owner is a old friend of mine, he’s been minding him for the last hour or so. The poor boy’s had a rather trying evening. It seems some older gentleman came across him in the casino and suggested to him that Sabacc could be a quick way of increasing one’s holdings. Such a callow youth… alas he was sadly misinformed.” His tone dripped with mock pity.

“You cleared him out!” cried Rey, her mouth full of pastry. Lando’s capacity for mischief seemed boundless.

Lando shook his head. “Not completely, he had enough left to buy himself a few decent drinks. He should be nicely mellow by now.”

“Armitage Hux has never been, and never will be _mellow_.” Ben stated with finality. He drained his cup of khav and stood. He held his hand out to Lando. “Lando, it has been a dubious pleasure as always.” 

Lando laughed “So like your mother.” He observed wryly as he shook Ben’s hand. “It has been a great pleasure my boy. It’s good to see you. To see you both. And if there’s anything else I can ever do to assist you. Do let me know.”

 

 

Hux sat nursing his drink in a small bar off one of the side streets. There were not many patrons and he had opted to sit at the bar itself. There was a mirror behind it which allowed him to keep an eye on the door. From time to time the bartender topped up his drink. Part of him thought that he should put a stop to that, but after a few more sips he changed his mind and instead he wallowed in the unfairness of his current situation.

Over the last few weeks his comm had pinged incessantly as notifications come through, as one by one, the First Order’s debts, now _his_ debts, had been acquired from his previous creditors. All by the same entity.

Then he had been instructed to come to Canto Bight to meet with this individual so he could outline his plan for repaying what was a far larger sum than he had realised. He had managed to pull together what he hoped would be enough on account and give him some breathing room while he tried to raise more funds. Well that’s what he had plan to tell this person. In reality he planned to arrange an accident for his creditor. The more he had thought about it the better it was for him that all his debts were held by one person; all the easier for him to rid himself of the debts and an opportunistic creditor in one fell swoop.

But his contact had never showed, and he had found himself in the Casino with a pile of credits and time to kill. Why he had listened to that old reprobate at the Sabacc table who said that luck favoured the beginner and that he could easily triple or quadruple what he had on him he would never know.

After his humiliating defeat, he had at least managed to sneak out of the casino without attracting any attention.

He swore to himself that he would never play Sabacc ever again. The old man had been so irritating about his win, beginner’s luck indeed. He had risen from the table and flashed him a wide smile as he gathered up his winnings, tossing a handful of credits back to him to go and get a drink with. And that cape, such a ridiculous affectation.

And now here he was - one who had for a brief, glorious moment realised his true potential and been the most powerful man in the galaxy, with the fate of billions in his hand - sitting alone, with only a few credits to his name and no immediate means off this god forsaken planet. 

For a while he sat contemplating his next steps, occasional taking a sip of his drink. He considered putting in a call to one of his few remaining contacts, but there would be no telling when it would be received; the message would need to be bounced off so many relays. Nor how, as much of the money he had lost this evening had been supplied by them. 

Hux was jolted out of his rumination by the sound of the door to the bar swinging open and approaching footsteps. He looked up and caught sight of the newcomers in the mirror; he almost choked on his drink. 

Of all the places, and of all the people to walk in to this place. Up until now he had managed evade them at every turn. But like a bad credit they would invariably turn up, but always just a moment too late. Even what had seemed like a fool-proof plan - one that could never have been traced back to the First Order - to have them killed, so tragically,  while on a routine intelligence gathering mission had failed. However, his luck had truly run out in more ways than one this evening. 

Before he could move or speak, Ben slapped him hard on the back, knocking him into the edge of the bar’s counter and the air out of his lungs. “Ah, there you are!” He boomed jovially, a tone of voice Hux never imagined the other ever possessing.

“We’ve been looking all over for you” added Rey sweetly while she swiftly removed and pocketed the slim blaster he was attempting to reach for.

The bartender gave them a questioning look.

“Last night of freedom.” Ben explained with a grin.

“Big day tomorrow then?” The bartender enquired genially as he dried a glass.

“Very big” Ben assented as he gripped Hux’s shoulder and gave it a shake. 

The bartender nodded sympathetically, he recalled the evening before his own wedding, he’d been terrified and had ended up in greasy diner on Coruscant where the owner had taken pity on him and fortified him with strong, sweet khav and words of wisdom. Twenty years later and he and Vonne were still happily together;  despite all his worries it had all worked out very well.

Ben was amused at the bartender’s misapprehension.

He tossed some credits onto the bar. “Thanks for looking after him.” 

“No problem at all” said the other, pocketing the rather generous tip.

“I’m _not_ going with you.” Hux started to protest as Ben hauled him up and out of his seat. 

Damn that drink must have been strong, he thought to himself as his legs almost went out from under him causing him to cling on to Ben. The bartender just shook his head and grinned. Young men were all the same, he thought.

“Come along now, you just need to get some sleep.” Rey intoned. With that last command Hux found his tenuous hold on consciousness  slip away from him.

“Nicely done” Ben said complimentarily as he shifted Hux’s weight slightly. Drawing the Force around themselves they exited the building and made their way back to the landing pad.

 

 

 

Ben was getting weary and they ended up half dragging, half carrying Hux to the elevator which led to the platform where The Orphan was waiting. They bumped Hux’s head more than once, although not altogether on purpose. 

“You may need to vouch for me that that was an accident.” Ben said as they sat Hux on the floor of the elevator, indicating the welt that was beginning to appear on Hux’s temple. 

“I’m willing to take the blame for that one if need be” Rey replied with a thin smile.

A blast of cold air hit them as the elevator doors opened on to the landing platform. Hux began to come to as they heaved him up into the ship. He aware of his surroundings but not yet able to do much about the situation in which he found himself.

“You despise me don’t you,” he managed to slur in Ben’s general direction.

“If I gave you any thought, I imagine I would” Ben replied shortly. 

He really didn’t want to deal with a tired and emotional Hux and whatever variant on a heart to heart talk he might be compelled to have while under the influence. It would probably involve him expounding at length on the righteous glory of the First Order and woe betide those traitors who worked against it and his rightful leadership, and so on and so forth. 

There was a very good reason why Ben had skipped Hux’s inaugural speech on Starkiller base, and it wasn’t all to do with his lingering unease and impeding trip to Takodana.

Hux blearily wondered what they were going to do with him. Was Ren, with his famously short temper, gearing up to take out years of resentment on him? Or was his Rebel handler going to do his dirty work for him?

To his surprise they didn’t lay a hand on him other than to drag him into the ship. While Ren held on to his arm with a vice-like grip the girl, that girl, he thought bitterly, activated a door just inside the hatch and he found himself flung headlong into what appeared to be a storage compartment. The door slid closed, he heard a dead bolt slide into place and a magnetic lock engage.

Part of Hux was relieved; the Republic were soft and would keep him safe from his mysterious creditor and their heavies and assassins. And if they had let Ren live… well maybe he too would also come out of this in one piece. He still had some supporters left, some of whom held sway in the Senate and were probably even now setting things in motion.

He sat down on the crude bunk, smoothed his hair back down and began to pick at his nails.

Suddenly there was a loud thud as something large was slammed against the door. His curiosity piqued, he leaned a bit closer to the door.

The girl was speaking, her voice was low and menacing. “Now there’s just you to deal with.” 

A thin, triumphant smile crept across Hux’s face, he knew it! The girl had been using Ren all along. If the Republic did decide to execute him there was no doubt Ren would be joining him in front of a firing squad. That, at least, would be a great comfort to him. 

There was another thud against the door followed by a grunt and low moan. The girl really wasn’t holding back. Hux imagined her inflicting all the bodily harm on Kylo Ren that he himself had for so many years wanted to. He pictured Ren’s face pummelled to a bloody pulp. He smiled to himself, that was a beautiful image indeed.

It sounded like Ren was finally fighting back now; there were sounds of grappling, and bodies falling heavily to the floor. Then there was another sound and sudden realisation dawned. 

Hux shuddered; no torture he had ever inflicted on anyone could compare with his having to listen to the sound of Ren rutting like an animal with that filthy scavenger girl. How long had this been going on for? He didn’t want to even think about it. He was furious. His glorious vision destroyed because of Ren’s base desire for some little nobody. Anger turned to nausea; he looked around himself in desperation, grabbed a nearby small bucket and promptly threw up.

 

 

With Hux safely stowed in what they referred to as the guest suite, Ben turned to Rey and was startled by the look of dark intent in her eyes as she advanced on him. He backed away from her in sudden alarm, hitting the just closed door with some force. “Now there’s just you to deal with.” she purred.

For the briefest of moments Ben’s blood turned cold, Was that it? _Had_ it all been a ploy? Before he could react Rey had launched herself at him, wrapping arms and legs around him. She was kissing him with an intensity like never before. Holding her close, he staggered forward in relief and then back, hitting the door again. Rey’s hands moved from around his neck and up in to his hair, grasping it tightly. He moaned; her fingers in his scalp always had that effect on him.

A moment later they were in a tangle on the floor. Hands and lips everywhere.

The muffled sound of retching was a a bit of a mood killer but Ben would not be deterred. He gathered Rey up in his arms, trailing various articles of clothing and carried her to the fore of the ship and their quarters. 

He threw her on the bed, she landed with a bounce and laughed.

“You gave me a bit of a fright there” he said darkly. “And I think we have possibly traumatised our prisoner.”

“Never mind about him,” she said as she crawled across the bed and reached out to him, pulling him on to the bed. 

“As you wish, sweetheart.”

 

 

Ben woke to a comm beeping somewhere on the floor by the bed. Rey was laying across his chest, pinning him in place. He looked around at the carnage about them. He honestly wondered if someone had slipped her one of those truffles. Not that he was complaining, it had just taken him by surprise. Gently, he managed to roll Rey off of him. She murmured and shivered slightly. Ben reached over for a blanket and covered her up; it could get very cold on this ship if the engines weren’t running. He then rolled over and slung one arm out of the bed and groped around for the comm. It was Poe, checking up on them. He checked the chrono and swore; they were due to have checked in a good five hours ago.

“Rey? Solo? What the _hell_ is going on there?” came Poe’s voice over the comm, a mixture of annoyance and anxiety.

“Everything’s fine. We’re all fine here... Er, how are you?” Ben stammered in a hushed tone. He wasn’t exactly sure he could bring himself to explain to Poe, of all people, what had delayed their check in; though he would be the most likely to understand.

“A bit worried to be honest. Where’s Rey?” came Poe’s terse reply.

“She’s asleep.”

There was a pregnant pause before Poe replied. “Oh. I see.” Ben could tell from his delivery of those three words that Dameron had a an excellent grasp of the situation. He then, mercifully, moved on to more pressing matters “Did you collect the package?”

Ben nodded “Yes, it’s safely stowed and we’ll be returning shortly.”

“Great! We’ll expect you within the next five hours.” With that Poe terminated the link.

Ben rolled out of bed and started hunting through the various articles of clothing on the floor. The floor was cold and he sat back on the bed and made locating socks his first priority. If Rey was serious about moving away from Yavin once this mission was completed, he was determined that it would be to some place warm.

 

Eventually, he managed to locate most of his clothes, he then followed the trail they had left a few hours earlier and found his shirt and jacket in the aft of the ship. He pulled on his shirt, stopping briefly as his muscles complained at having to move again after their earlier exertions. He then bent, a bit more tentatively, to pick up his jacket when something fell out of its pocket. He picked it up. It was his father’s pair of dice. He found it reassuring having them close and tended to put them in the pocket of whatever jacket he was wearing at the time. He turned them over in his hand. What was it that Lando had said? His father had never lost a game with them. An idea came to him as he closed his hand around them. 

He paused momentarily and banged a fist on the door to the storage compartment. “Rise and shine! We’ll be underway shortly.”

He didn’t stick around to hear Hux’s, no doubt, profane reply; he had something he needed to do.

Ben returned to their quarters to find that Rey had rolled herself up in the blanket and was snoring quietly. He went over to the small box where she kept a stash of tools and odd bits of wire and started rummaging around. Unable to find what he looked for he gave up and grasping a die in either hand gave a short, sharp tug. 

 

 

A little while later Rey felt herself being gently nudged awake. She stretched and wriggled into a semi upright position. Ben was sitting on the bed beside her. There was a tray beside him with a mug of something hot and what looked like more of the pastries they had had the evening before.

“What time is it?” She asked as she stretched again.

“A little after dawn.” Her eyes went wide, their check in! “Oh damn! “

“It’s ok. I’ve spoken to Poe.” Ben reassured her. ”Though we will need to leave shortly or he might send the fleet after us.” He added with a wry grin.

“What did you say to him?”

“Enough that he forgave us the lapse in protocol. Eat up.”

As was her wont she fell up on the food he’d brought her. The pastry was flakey and she ended up with crumbs all over herself and most of the bed. Ben shook his head in amusement. 

“How’s our guest?” she asked though a full mouth.

“Annoyed. He demanded room service. I pointed out that we offered a no-frills service to non paying passengers.”

“What did he think of that?” She enquired.

“It doesn’t bear repeating in front of a lady. Although the way you eat sometimes… I’m not so sure.”

Rey made a face at him, and grinned. “You’ve always known what I was,” she pointed out.

He bowed his head and said nothing in response. This worried Rey, it felt so out of place. He usually had a pithy, faintly cutting, riposte at the ready for her. His quick, easy wit, something that he had inherited from both his parents was one of the things she particularly loved about him.

“Ben?” she asked in a low voice.

He looked up at her. He had that look again. Like the one in the Throne room on the Supremacy. A questioning look, tempered with a fear of rejection. Her heart skipped, she was certain she knew what he was going to ask her. This time however, there would be no doubt in her mind as to what her reply would be and how it would be taken.

For a moment he just sat there looking at her. He had never thought about how he would actually word this one important question and now as a result he was just gawping at her like an idiot.

Taking pity on him she reached out and took his hands. _I’m going to say yes._

He breathed a sigh of immense relief.

“Thank heavens” he said. “I’m sorry, I feel so foolish. I never considering not asking you, but at the same time I never thought about how I would.”

Rey laughed. “It doesn’t matter, and luckily for you I don’t hold with certain Jedi dogma.’

“Oh god, yes. I totally forgot about that.” Ben said, blushing slightly.

“Well, to be fair we kind of have been ignoring that aspect quite, _vigorously_.”

Ben reached in to his pocket and drew a delicate chain out of it. Suspended on the end was one of Han’s dice. 

“I know you’re not one for jewellery, but I wanted to give you something all the same” he explained as he leaned over and clasped the necklace around her neck. “I’ve got the other one” he added. As he bent over her Rey could see a similar chain hanging around Ben’s neck. 

“When Lando said that my father had never lost when he played with them, it reminded me of what we can achieve when we work together. I know I’ve been the worst possible version of myself or anyone in the past but you managed to pull me back from that and anchor me in the light. I just hope you’ll agree to keep on doing that. And for my part…”

“Keep me in good food and I’ll stick to you like a Mynock to a power cable, Ben Solo” Rey finished, her eyes shining.

 

 

Finn was waiting with a small cohort of Republic guards when The Orphan came into sight, banking around the massive bulk of the Great Temple structure. Within minutes it had touched down and the boarding ramp extended. The guards advanced into the ship and returned a short time later with Hux in their midst. He looked dreadful. Paler than usual and smelling slightly of vomit and alcohol, his face twisted in a scowl. Finn winced as he passed them on his way to greet Ben and Rey.

“Give you some trouble did he?” Enquired Finn as they approached. Ben looked confused, and looked about himself. He only then noticed that his shirt was looking a bit ripped in places.

“No, no trouble. Why do you ask?” He replied, a slight touch of crimson on his cheeks as he and Rey followed in the wake of the guards. Rey turned back and pointed to herself, a wicked glint in her eyes. Finn pursed his lips to prevent himself from laughing and ran to catch up with them.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on [tumblr](http://alicestill.tumblr.com) feel free to drop by and say hi!


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